Dust-pan



(No Model.) v

J. .T. WIGKE'RSH'AM.

, DUST PAN. No. 302,075. Patented Ju1y 15, 1884.

W'TNESSES INVENTOR 7 IHMWM I I v I M mas n, PETERS. Phnmum n m. wumwm. a I.

UNITED ST T S- PATENT OFF E.

JAMES T. wIcKERs AM, on RED OAK, IOWA.

DUST-PAN.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 302,075, dated J'u1y 15, 1884.

I Application filed May 17, 1884. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. WIcKERsHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red Oak, in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dust-Pans; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact dew seription of the invention, such as will enable others skille'din the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference-marked thereon, which 'form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of this invention, and is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a side View. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, and represents the position of the pan'when adjusted by the foot.

This invention has relation to dust-pans; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates an ordinary dust-pan, such as is commonly made of sheet metal. B is its handle. \Vhen such a dust-pan is used, unless it is held so that its front edge, 0, will bepressed against the floor or carpet, there will be an interval between the floor or carpet and said edge, through which the dust and small matter being swept up will escape under the pan. This is caused to some extent by the weight of the handle B, which has a tendency to lift the front edge of the pan. this difficulty and prevent the necessity for stooping in using the dust-pan, a pivoted tread lever or prop, D, is connected to the back of the pan near the handle, or to the handle itself. This pivoted prop may be made of wood or metal; but it is preferred to construct it of wire in loop form, the ends 6 e of the branches 9 9 being pivoted to the back of the pan or hinged thereto by making perforations h h in the back an and connecting the endse e theretoin eye form. This wire tread-lever is designed usually to have greater length than the handle, and it is bent at first downward from the eyes and then upward at the outer portion, J, so that fulcrum bends k 'k are In order to obviatestraight portion, J, being brought at right angles (or nearly so) to the branches g,so that the said outer portion, J, when engaged by the foot, may lie smoothly on the floor and the pan held firmly in the desired position. When the pan is placed fiat on the floor, the outer portion, J, of the treadlever willbe turned upward. By simple pressure with the foot upon the outer portion, J, the pan will be drawn alittle backward and its rear portion, to which the handle is secured, lifted, so that the front edge, 0, of the. pan will lie close to The tread-lever can be so made that by turning the foot a little when resting on the outer portion thereof it can be at the 6 5 same time brought to. bear against the under side of the handle with considerable pressure, causing the front edge of the pan to be forcibly held down against the floor or carpet.

In order to give strength and body to the front edge, 0, of the pan, atransverse strengthening oleat or rib,'Z, should be provided, extending the length of said edge, just in rear thereof, onthe under side of thepan.

claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, I

1. The combination, with a dust-pan, of the pivoted prop secured to the rear upper edge thereof, and havingdownwardly-bent 80 branches 9 and rear portion, D, extending at right angles to the said branches, whereby the said .rear portion may be brought to engage the floor when pressed upon by the foot,

' and the pan held in the desired position, sub- 8 5 stantially as shown and described.

2. A dust-pan provided with a transverse strengthening cleat or rib extending thelength of its front edge, just back of the same, on the under side of the pan, substantially as specio fied. 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES T. wrcKERsHAM.

formed on the branches of the loop, the outer 5o Having described'this invention, what I 

